Sunday Adventures March 29th 2026

I really am going to try to do better about documenting these adventures. 

We're trying to stick a little closer to home, due to rising costs. There are so many parks in our part of Michigan that we're hoping to explore quite a few of them, document them and choose some of our favourites to return to. 

It was lovely and sunny today and ended up fairly warm. Husband and I went for a walk at Warren Dunes State Park. There is a lovely trail through a marshy bog bit and along through the woods. It's a fairly easy trail, something that husband could do to build up the walking stamina again. As we walked through the bog bit we could hear lots of birds singing and chirping. We watched as an Eastern Towhee sat atop a branch and sang out his heart. I did get some photos but yes - you've guessed it - I've not got to them yet! We also saw lots of little Golden-crowned Kinglets flitting through the trees. I pulled out my phone and noted that we saw lots of Brown Creepers, two Pileated Woodpeckers and some Fox Sparrows. 

It was lovely and quiet out. We saw two other couples and a maybe two joggers but that was it. I think that's why we like to go early on a Sunday morning.  It can get quite busy and loud at times, but it's usually quieter first thing in the mornings. 

I did take quite a few phone photos

Always look up!

Sometimes, along the trail leading up into the dunes there are spring flowers growing along the trail, but I think we were a little bit too early!

There are lots of daffodils in the woods. These dot the landscape where the old building of the New First Church Camp used to stand for many years. It's always interesting to see them pop up year after year without any human intervention. 

After our walk through the woods, we headed further into the state park and down along the shores of Lake Michigan. 

My favourite tree by the beach

The snow fences are still up but I'm sure they will come down soon

We had some fun looking along the shoreline for VPS (Very Pretty Stones). There are lots of people who walk the shores looking for all kinds of rocks (as they are called here). We have no clue what we are looking for so just look for the ones we think are unique or different. 

I took a video of this area of the park. On the map it is indicated as the Painterville Drain. It seems to move every time we visit the park! It looked quite different from the last time we were here. It had moved further into the park boundaries. 

This is a lovely State Park. It has a really huge beach, three car parks and a dog beach that is easily accessible and close to the regular beach. It does get really busy in the summertime, but at other times of the year it's really peaceful. There are also a few different trails to walk. 

I'll hopefully add another post later in the week when I've got to the phone photos. I'm excited to see how they came out!

Sunday Adventure January 18th 2026

A trip along the lakeshore. We had planned to go up to Grand Haven, but (once again) the weather wasn't great, so we decided to 'the loop'. Kalamazoo to St. Joseph (with a stop at the Wesco in Watervliet for donuts) then to South Haven and then back to Kalamazoo. Not a great weather day, but the sun came out briefly in St. Joe. By the time we got to South Haven it was snowing like crazy. 

July 1st - 9th Lakeside

It's a hot week in Southwest Michigan. Lots of posts for this time period. I've taken an overload of photos as at the end of this time (little over a week), I'm off to England to visit my family for a couple of weeks so there will be no walks at Asylum Lake.

I'm starting the week off with walks along the edge of the lake. It's my favourite place to start on a normal morning. There is something peaceful about beginning the day at the lake, watching the birds swimming, catching food and just generally enjoying the sounds. There aren't a lot of people around so it's usually just me and the early morning sounds. 

The Beavers' Lodge. No sign of the beavers this week! 

Look at how very green everything looks! 

I stand out on the point and can see a deer making its way through the reeds and out in the water. It must be quite shallow there! 

There are still a family of Wood Ducks around. 

The babies are growing bigger, and Mum is quite happy to let them swim a little further away, watching carefully from her spot on a log near to the shore.

 

The male Wood Duck isn't around. Wood Ducks don't mate for life and abandon the female either once incubation begins or not long after the babies are born.

Not too far away are a Mallard family. 

Male Mallards don't stay around after the babies are born either! 

Early morning the view from the beach is lovely. 

Some lovely clouds reflected in the lake. 

And a lovely water lily. They are beginning to flower now. 

It's the perfect segue into the next post - flowers, bugs and butterflies. 

June 26th - 30th Fields, Flowers and Birds

Walking through the woods I see a few birds. The lovely Grosbeaks seem to like the cover of the trees. I catch a flash of red and black and focus in on him. 

It looks like he's catching bugs. I wonder if that means there are babies around somewhere! 

I was glad to see a couple of Eastern Towhees this week. They are a summer favourite of mine. I like hearing their song and I'm always glad to be able to catch a glimpse of them. 

This is a male. Look at his lovely eyes - they are a deep, dark brown, appearing almost red. A couple of interesting facts about them. They are considered part of the Sparrow Family. A group of Towhees (though they aren't often found in groups) is called a Teapot of Towhees or a Tangle of Towhees. 

On the edge of the woods as I walk to the open fields I hear the Meow-y call of a Grey Catbird. Their call always makes me smile. 

I don't often walk in the back field during the winter. There aren't many trees there and the grasses all flatten with the winds and the rain, but late springtime, when things start to grow, and the grasses get taller, the field starts to fill with wildflowers, birds and bees. 

Things have only just started to grow taller. A Red-Winged Blackbird is already enjoying the area. 

As well as a Common Yellow-throated Warbler. These little warblers will call the field home for most of the summer. 

Walking through the field one day this week I heard a new sound. It was a birdsong I haven't heard before. I turned on my Merlin app on my phone and something new came up - a Dickcissel. What a strange name! I followed the sound as closely as I could and captured a glimpse of the bird. It's song is quite loud. It was perched on one of the tall grasses. 

What an interesting looking bird! 

Some of the flowers that can be seen growing nearby

There is Milkweed starting to grow taller and begin to flower. This plant is important as it is a host plant for the caterpillars of Monarch Butterflies. Their numbers are falling due to the loss of Milkweed. 

It's such a wonderful plant. I love seeing its pods and the fluffy seeds that come from it. For now the flowers are just beginning to bud. Bees love the plant too. No bee on this one but nearby on a clover plant a bee is sipping nectar. 

As I walk through the field, I see blackberries beginning to grow! There are so many spots around the preserve where berries grow. Some are picked by people, others by the birds. 

They aren't nowhere near ready to eat, but I'm sure it won't be that long. 

As I continue my walk through the field a couple of rabbits dart from the path as I walk by. I managed to get a photo of one before he took off. 

They are at the lake all year round, but in summer I seem to see more of them. They are often on the paths and dart off into the undergrowth when they see a person or are startled. 

It's back through the front fields to the car park. I love this view!

It's the end of another week and another month at Asylum Lake.  I've seen a lot this month, watched things grow and change. I can't wait to see what July brings. It's one of the hottest months of the year in Michigan. It's also the month that big bite-y flies come out. I'll have to dig out a scarf to keep them from my hair! Lots of bug spray too and watching for ticks! Hopefully lots of good moments too with lots to see!